This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
Surface mining is useful in many industries and can typically be accomplished by removing mining material from the surface of a mining region and processing the removed mining material to extract hydrocarbons from the mining material. The processing of the mining material is subject to variations in the quality and properties of the mining material.
Conventional approaches involve different methods of estimating and/or measuring properties of the mining material. For example, the estimation may be performed by surveying the mining region or by obtaining informal measurements (e.g., observing color and/or adhesiveness) of certain samples of removed mining material. Also, a photo image may be used to visually determine brightness of the mining region. While these approaches may be performed in an efficient manner, the approaches do not provide accurate information about the properties of the mining material. Indeed, the approaches are subjective and depend upon the uncorroborated review by operations personnel.
Other approaches may involve more scientific rigor to provide more accurate analysis. For example, analytical ore characterization approaches may include wellbore analysis, which may include wire line log modeling, and/or core sampling and sample characterization (e.g., Dean Stark bitumen saturation, Methylene Blue Index (MBI), Grain size, Soluble Ions, or other core analysis techniques). While these approaches are used in advance of mining operations to estimate resource assessment and bitumen recoverability (e.g., extractability), these approaches are costly and time consuming. For example, wellbore drilling operations, which typically involve drilling wellbores spaced at about 100 meters apart, are expensive to perform and require long periods of time to complete the drilling and the associated analysis. While core analysis may be used to determine specific quality of the mining material and associated properties for a specific wellbore location, this approach is also expensive and time consuming as it typically needs to be performed each year over the operational lifetime of the mine. Further, the core data has to be interpolated laterally to cover the areas outside of the well, which may not properly represent the properties (e.g., fluvial depositional environments) between wells. Indeed, the geologic facies can change quite rapidly, which may result in errors in resource calculations. Also, certain samples may not be analyzed because they are perceived as bitumen lean sand zones (e.g., water wet or clay-rich) and clay zones. As a result, a certain amount of information is eliminated from the possible geologic data, which would be useful in building predictive models and/or aiding in the processing of the mining material.
Other approaches involve the use of spectroscopic data. For example, these approaches may involve using analyzers over a conveyor belt in the plant to provide a single point of information before the ore enters the processing equipment. The information can then be used by control room operators to adjust operation conditions in the processing plant to avoid plant upsets and/or sanding issues (e.g., sanding in the hydrotransport line). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,768,115 describes monitoring the degradation or oxidation of an oil sand ore feedstock by near infrared spectroscopy and then utilizing the information to control operating conditions in an oil sand processing plant. However, the limited timeframe hinders processing control flexibility in compensating for changes in the material being processed and does not provide an integrated mechanism to notify control room operators regarding changes in ore characteristics though the complete mining process. As a result, such approaches do not properly adjust for changes in the ore characteristics.
Other spectroscopic approaches describe relying upon specific and discrete wavelengths. See, e.g., U.S. Patent App. Pub. Nos. 2014/0326885, 2014/0347472, and 2012/0306257, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,239. However, by using only discrete wavelengths, the references fail to include additional information which may be used to lower uncertainty from the mining and extraction processes.
Thus, there remains a need in the industry for apparatus, methods, and systems that are more efficient and that can be utilized to enhance the hydrocarbon extraction operations. Also, a need exists to provide more flexibility in managing the mining materials in the various stages of the hydrocarbon extraction process and to lessen uncertainty about the mining material being processed in the hydrocarbon extraction process.
Other background references may include PCT Publication No. WO 2014/209854; U.S. Patent App. Pub. Nos. 2016/0033676; 2015/0337220; 2015/0323516; 2015/0068806; 2014/0208826; 2014/0197316; 2013/0327683; 2013/0169961 2011/0042143; 2010/0207018; and 2009/0071239; U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,087,338; 9,016,399; 8,857,915; 8,547,096; 8,336,370; 8,315,838; 8,117,891; 7,728,286; 7,718,956; 7,399,406; 7,369,229; 7,067,811; 6,929,330; 6,869,147; 6,554,368; 6,208,459; and 5,781,336; and Canadian Patent Application Publication Numbers CA 2916419 A1 and CA 2852744 A1.